U.S. patent number 10,455,755 [Application Number 15/692,279] was granted by the patent office on 2019-10-29 for system and method for strip till implement guidance monitoring and adjustment.
This patent grant is currently assigned to CNH Industrial America LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is CNH Industrial America LLC. Invention is credited to Trevor Philip Stanhope.
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United States Patent |
10,455,755 |
Stanhope |
October 29, 2019 |
System and method for strip till implement guidance monitoring and
adjustment
Abstract
An agricultural system includes a frame, one or more row units
coupled to the frame, one or more imaging devices coupled to the
frame, and a controller. The one or more imaging devices are
configured to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural
system as the agricultural system traverses the field. The
controller includes a processor and a memory, and processes the
images captured by the one or more imaging devices. Processing the
captured images includes determining a location of an implement
line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row units,
determining a location of a center line of a first strip of a
plurality of strips of the field, wherein the plurality of strips
are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land, determining
a location of a tracking line, and determining whether the
implement line and the tracking line are aligned with one
another.
Inventors: |
Stanhope; Trevor Philip
(Darien, IL) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CNH Industrial America LLC |
New Holland |
PA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CNH Industrial America LLC (New
Holland, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
65433931 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/692,279 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20190059199 A1 |
Feb 28, 2019 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01B
69/004 (20130101); G05D 1/0248 (20130101); A01B
69/008 (20130101); G05D 1/0246 (20130101); A01B
69/001 (20130101); G05D 2201/0201 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01B
69/00 (20060101); A01B 69/04 (20060101); G05D
1/02 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
O'Connor et al; "Kinematic GPS for Closed-Loop Control of Farm and
Construction Vehicles;" ION GPS-95, Sep. 1995. cited by
applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Shaawat; Mussa A
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Henkel; Rebecca L. DeMille; Rickard
K.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. An agricultural system, comprising: a frame; one or more row
units coupled to the frame; one or more imaging devices coupled to
the frame, wherein the one or more imaging devices are configured
to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural system as the
agricultural system traverses the field; and a controller
comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is
configured to process the images captured by the one or more
imaging devices, wherein processing the captured images comprises:
determining, based on the captured images, a location of an
implement line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row
units; determining, based on the captured images, a location of a
center line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field,
wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of
rows of untilled land; determining, based on the captured images, a
location of a tracking line; and determining whether the implement
line and the tracking line are aligned with one another.
2. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural
system comprises a drawn implement or self-propelled implement.
3. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to generate a control signal to steer the agricultural
system, to steer a work vehicle towing the agricultural system, or
a combination thereof, in response to determining that the
implement line and the tracking line are not aligned with one
another.
4. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to generate a notification to be displayed to a user in
response to determining that the implement line and the tracking
line are not aligned with one another.
5. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the imaging devices
are rearward facing relative to a direction of travel of the
agricultural system.
6. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the imaging devices
are forward facing relative to a direction of travel of the
agricultural system.
7. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein determining the
location of the center line of the first strip of the plurality of
strips comprises: identifying the first strip in the images;
determining a center point along a width of the first strip at each
of a plurality of locations; and fitting a center line through the
plurality of determined center points.
8. The agricultural system of claim 7, wherein the tracking line is
offset from the center line.
9. An imaging system, comprising: one or more imaging devices
configured to be coupled to a frame of an agricultural system, and
to capture images of a field beneath the agricultural system as the
agricultural system traverses the field; and a controller
comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is
configured to process the images captured by the one or more
imaging devices, wherein processing the captured images comprises:
determining, based on the captured images, a location of an
implement line aligned with a first row unit of the agricultural
system; determining, based on the captured images, a location of a
tracking line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the
field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality
of rows of untilled land; and determining, based on the captured
images, whether the implement line and the tracking line are
aligned with one another.
10. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the one or more imaging
devices comprise a digital camera, an analog camera, a
red-green-blue (RGB) camera, red-green-blue-depth (RGB-D) camera,
an infrared (IR) camera, or a combination thereof.
11. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the one or more imaging
devices comprise a laser scanner, radar sensor, a proximity sensor,
or a combination thereof.
12. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the agricultural system
comprises a work vehicle, drawn implement, or self-propelled
implement.
13. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the processor is
configured to generate a control signal to steer an implement of
the agricultural system, to steer a work vehicle of the
agricultural implement, or a combination thereof, in response to
determining that the implement line and the tracking line are not
aligned with one another.
14. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the processor is
configured to generate a notification to be displayed to a user in
response to determining that the implement line and the tracking
line are not aligned with one another.
15. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein determining the location
of the center line of the first strip of the plurality of strips
comprises: identifying the first strip in the images; determining a
center point along a width of the first strip at each of a
plurality of locations; and fitting a center line through the
plurality of determined center points.
16. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the tracking line is
offset from the center line.
17. A method, comprising: directing an agricultural system across a
field, wherein the agricultural system includes a work vehicle and
an implement, and wherein the implement comprises one or more row
units; capturing one or more images of the field beneath the
agricultural system as the agricultural system traverses the field,
via one or more imaging devices coupled to the agricultural system;
and processing the captured images, comprising: determining, based
on the one or more captured images, a location of an implement line
aligned with a first row unit of the one or more row units;
determining, based on the one or more captured images, a location
of a tracking line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the
field, wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality
of rows of untilled land; and determining, based on the one or more
captured images, whether the implement line and the tracking line
are aligned with one another.
18. The method of claim 17, comprising generating a control signal
to steer the implement, to steer a work vehicle towing the
implement, or a combination thereof, in response to determining
that the implement line and the tilling line or the planting line
are not aligned with one another.
19. The method of claim 17, comprising generating notification to
be displayed to a user in response to determining that the
implement line and the tilling line or the planting line are not
aligned with one another.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the location of the
tilling line or the planting line of the first strip of the
plurality of strips comprises: identifying the first strip in the
images; determining a center point along a width of the first strip
at each of a plurality of locations; and fitting a center line
through the plurality of determined center points.
Description
BACKGROUND
This disclosure relates generally to agricultural applications
utilizing strip tilling, and more specifically to implement
alignment for agricultural applications utilizing strip
tilling.
Strip tilling involves tilling rows or "strips" of a field rather
than tilling the whole field. Seeds of the desired agricultural
product are then planted in the tilled strips and cultivated. Strip
tilling combines the soil drying and soil warming benefits of
conventional tilling (i.e., tilling the entire field) with the
soil-protecting advantages of no-till agriculture, while enabling a
reduction of resources used relative to conventional tillage.
Typically, the same strips are used season after season. As such,
an implement that is not properly aligned with the existing strips
of the field may cause reduced productivity and/or efficiency of an
agricultural operation. For example, if a row of seeds is planted
offset with respect to the desired planting line within a tilled
strip, the yield of the crop may decrease and the difficulty of
conducting subsequent field operations may worsen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally
claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are
not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but
rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief
summary of possible forms of the disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure
may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or
different from the embodiments set forth below.
In one embodiment, an agricultural implement includes a frame, one
or more row units coupled to the frame (e.g. planter row unit or
sprayer nozzles), one or more imaging devices coupled to the frame,
and a controller. The one or more imaging devices are configured to
capture images of a field beneath the agricultural implement as the
agricultural implement traverses the field. The controller includes
a processor and a memory, and processes the images captured by the
one or more imaging devices. Processing the captured images
includes determining a location of an implement line aligned with a
first row unit of the one or more row units, determining a location
of a center line of one or more strips of a plurality of strips of
the field, determining a location of a tracking line with respect
to the center line of the strips, wherein the plurality of strips
are separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land, and
determining whether the implement line and the desired tracking
line are aligned with one another.
In another embodiment, an imaging system includes one or more
imaging devices and a controller. The imaging devices are coupled
to a frame of an agricultural vehicle, and capture images of a
field beneath the agricultural vehicle as the agricultural vehicle
traverses the field. The controller includes a processor and a
memory, and processes the images captured by the one or more
imaging devices. Processing the captured images includes
determining a location of an implement line aligned with a first
row unit of the agricultural system, determining a location of a
center line of a first strip of a plurality of strips of the field,
determining a location of a tracking line with respect to the
center line of the strips, wherein the plurality of strips are
separated by a plurality of rows of untilled land, and determining
whether the implement line and the desired tracking line are
aligned with one another.
In a further embodiment, a method includes directing an
agricultural system across a field, wherein the agricultural system
includes a work vehicle and an implement, and wherein the implement
comprises one or more row units, capturing one or more images of
the field beneath the agricultural system as the agricultural
system traverses the field, via one or more imaging devices coupled
to the agricultural system, and processing the captured images.
Processing the captured images includes determining a location of
an implement line aligned with a first row unit of the one or more
row units, determining a location of a center line of a first strip
of a plurality of strips of the field, determining a location of a
tracking line with respect to the center line of the strips,
wherein the plurality of strips are separated by a plurality of
rows of untilled land, and determining whether the implement line
and the desired tracking line are aligned with one another.
DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present
disclosure will become better understood when the following
detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout
the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of an agricultural
system;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a control system of
the agricultural system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the agricultural
system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an embodiment of an image captured by one or more imaging
devices of an imaging system of the control system of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a processed image generated by the
imaging system of the control system of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is an embodiment of an image captured by the one or more
imaging devices of the control system of FIG. 2 utilizing strip
tilling and offset planting; and
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a process for aligning
an implement of the agricultural system of FIG. 1 with strips of a
field utilizing strip tilling.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of
these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not
be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in
the development of any such actual implementation, as in any
engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific
decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals,
such as compliance with system-related and business-related
constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another.
Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort
might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a
routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for
those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present
disclosure, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended
to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms
"comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be
inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than
the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and/or
environmental conditions are not exclusive of other
parameters/conditions of the disclosed embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of an agricultural system 10.
The agricultural system 10 includes a work vehicle 12 (e.g., a
tractor, a self-propelled sprayer, a self-propelled spreader, etc.)
and an agricultural implement 14 (e.g., a tillage tool, a planter,
etc.). In some embodiments, the agricultural implement 14 may be
towed behind the work vehicle 12 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1). In
other embodiments, the agricultural implement 14 may be
incorporated into the work vehicle 12. The work vehicle 12 may be
any vehicle suitable for towing the agricultural implement 14, such
as a tractor, off-road vehicle, or the like. The work vehicle 12
may include a cab 16, in which an operator sits during operation of
the work vehicle 12. Additionally, the agricultural implement 14
may be any suitable implement, such as a ground-engaging implement
(e.g., a soil conditioner, a tillage implement, a fertilizer
application implement, a planter, a seeder, etc.) or non-ground
engaging (e.g., a sprayer, spreader, or applicator), suitable for
agricultural use. The agricultural implement 14 may be coupled to
the work vehicle 12 via a hitch 18. In one embodiment, the hitch 18
may be a three-point hitch that rigidly couples the implement 14 to
the work vehicle 12, such that the implement 14 can move upward and
downward, but cannot freely rotate with respect to the work vehicle
12. In another embodiment, the implement 14 may be coupled to the
work vehicle 12 via a drawbar, enabling the implement to move
upward, downward, and rotate with respect to the work vehicle 12.
It should be understood, however that other systems for coupling
the implement 14 to the work vehicle 12 may be utilized. In some
embodiments, the implement 14 may be coupled to the front of the
work vehicle 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the agricultural
implement 14 is attached to the work vehicle 12 via a frame 20 and
the hitch 18. The agricultural system 10 travels over a field 22.
The work vehicle 12 is configured to tow the agricultural implement
14 in a direction of travel 24. For reference, a forward direction
should be understood to be in the direction of travel 24 and a
rearward direction should be understood to be opposite the
direction of travel 24.
As shown, strips 26 are separated by untilled rows 28 of land.
Generally, the same strips 26 and untilled rows 28 are used season
after season. In some embodiment, the operator may have a map
(e.g., GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, etc.) of the strips, which
may be utilized to guide the work vehicle 12 and the implement 14
across the field 22. In the illustrated embodiment, a center line
30 extends through the center of each strip 26. For tilling, the
implement 14 (e.g., a tilling implement) traverses the field 22
with row units 32 aligned with tilling tracking lines 36. As the
implement 14 traverses the field 22, the row units 32 till the soil
of the strips 26. For planting, the implement 14 (e.g., a planting
implement) traverses the field 22 with row units 32 aligned with
planting tracking lines 38. As the implement 14 traverses the field
22, the row units 32 plant seeds in the field along the planting
tracking lines 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the tilling
tracking lines 36 and the planting tracking lines 38 extend through
the center of each strip 26, along the center line 30 of each
strip. However, in some embodiments (e.g., offset planting), the
tilling tracking lines 36 and/or the planting tracking lines 38 may
be offset from the center lines 30.
If the implement 14 is not directed across the field 22 during
tilling or planting such that the row units 32 align with the
tilling tracking lines 36 and/or the planting tracking lines 38,
efficiency and/or production of the agricultural operation may be
reduced. Accordingly, one or more imaging devices 34 (e.g.,
cameras) may be disposed on the work vehicle 12 and/or the
implement 14 and configured to generate images of the field 22, and
in some cases, a portion of the implement 14, such that a
determination may be made as to whether the row units 32 are
aligned with the strips 26. The one or more imaging devices 34 may
be digital still cameras, digital video cameras, analog cameras,
RGB cameras, RGB-D cameras, infrared (IR) cameras, multispectral
cameras, other imaging devices, or some combination thereof. The
one or more imaging devices 34 may be monocular or stereovision. In
some embodiments, the one or more imaging devices 34 may also
include laser scanners, proximity sensors, radar sensors, or other
devices that may not generate a two-dimensional image. For example,
if the one or more imaging devices 34 are laser scanners, proximity
sensors, the imaging devices 34 may generate a one-dimensional
indication of a distance, a two-dimensional scan-line, or a
three-dimensional point-cloud of the field 22 and/or the implement
14 (e.g., row unit 32). If the one or more imaging devices return
data that indicates the operation is outside of an expected range,
it may be assumed that the row units 32 are not aligned with the
strips 26. The one or more imaging devices 34 may be coupled to the
work vehicle (e.g., via a frame of the work vehicle) and/or the
implement (e.g., via an implement tool bar, one or more row units,
etc.), and may be directed forward (e.g., toward the work vehicle,
along the direction of travel) or rearward (e.g., away from the
work vehicle, opposite the direction of travel).
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a control system
100 that may be set within the agricultural system 10 of FIG. 1. In
the illustrated embodiment, the control system 100 includes a work
vehicle control system 102, an imaging system 104, a navigation
system 106, a work vehicle speed system 108, a work vehicle
steering system 110, an implement control system 112, and an
operator interface 114. However, it should be understood that other
embodiments of the control system 100 may include different
elements in alternative combinations.
The work vehicle control system 102 includes a processor 116, a
memory component 118, and communication circuitry 120. The
processor 116 may include one or more general-purpose processors,
one or more application specific integrated circuits, one or more
field programmable gate arrays, or the like. The memory 118 may be
any tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium that is
capable of storing instructions executable by the processor 116
and/or data that may be processed by the processor 116. In other
words, the memory 118 may include volatile memory, such as random
access memory, or non-volatile memory, such as hard disk drives,
read-only memory, optical disks, flash memory, and the like. The
communication circuitry 120 may be configured to receive inputs
(e.g., feedback signals, sensor signals, etc.) and transmit outputs
(e.g., control signals, command signals, etc.) to/from the imaging
system 104, the navigation system 106, the work vehicle speed
system 108, the work vehicle steering system 110, the implement
control system 112, and the operator interface 114.
As shown, the imaging system 104 may include a processor 122, a
memory component 124, and one or more imaging devices 34. The
processor 122 may include one or more general-purpose processors,
one or more application specific integrated circuits, one or more
field programmable gate arrays, or the like. The processor 122 may
control the imaging devices 34 (e.g., control when imaging data is
captured). In some embodiments, the processor 122 may also be used
to process and/or analyze data provided by the imaging devices 34.
The memory 124 may be any tangible, non-transitory, computer
readable medium that is capable of storing data provided by the
imaging devices 34 (e.g., image files), and/or storing instructions
executable by the processor 122 and/or data that may be processed
by the processor 122. The memory 124 may include volatile memory,
such as random access memory, or non-volatile memory, such as hard
disk drives, read-only memory, optical disks, flash memory, and the
like.
The navigation system 106 may be in communication with the work
vehicle control system 102 (e.g., via the communication circuitry
120). The navigation system 106 may include a Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 126 configured to communicate with
two or more satellites in orbit (e.g., GPS, GLONASS, Galileo,
BeiDou, etc.) to determine the location, heading, speed, etc. of
the work vehicle. The receiver 126 may include one or more
processors 128, a memory component 130, input/output devices 132, a
power supply 134, and radio circuitry 136. The processors 128 may
execute software stored on the memory component 130 to determine
the position of the work vehicle. In some embodiments, the work
vehicle position, heading, speed, etc. may be compared relative to
a map or a planned path stored in the memory 130. Based on the
determined position, the processor 128 may also determine work
vehicle heading, speed, etc. Based on the information received from
the navigation system 106, the work vehicle control system 102 may
determine (e.g., via the processor 116) the relative proximity of
the work vehicle and/or the implement to one or more strips, one or
more boundaries, one or more headlands, etc.
The work vehicle speed system 108 may control the speed of the work
vehicle along the direction of travel. Control of the speed may be
by control of a throttle, a clutch, brakes, a transmission, one or
more other systems, or a combination thereof. In the illustrated
embodiment, the speed control system 108 includes an engine output
control system 138, a transmission control system 140, and a
braking control system 142. The engine output control system 138 is
configured to vary the output of an engine to control the speed of
the work vehicle. For example, the engine output control system 138
may vary a throttle setting of the engine, a fuel/air mixture of
the engine, a timing of the engine, and/or other suitable engine
parameters to control engine output. In addition, the transmission
control system 140 may adjust a gear ratio within a transmission to
control the speed of the work vehicle. For example, the
transmission control system 140 may enable manual or automatic
changing of gears or a gear ratio via the transmission as a way to
control the speed of the work vehicle. The transmission may include
a number of fixed gear ratios or a continuously variable gear
ratio. Furthermore, the braking control system 142 may adjust
braking force, thereby controlling the speed of the work vehicle
(e.g., slow the work vehicle down at the end of a row in order to
make a turn). While the illustrated work vehicle speed system 108
includes the engine output control system 138, the transmission
control system 140, and the braking control system 142, alternative
embodiments may include any of these systems, in any suitable
combination. Further embodiments may include a work vehicle speed
system 108 having other and/or additional systems to facilitate
adjusting the speed of the work vehicle. The work vehicle speed
system may be controlled by the operator in a manual mode of
operation. In an automatic or semi-automatic mode of operation, the
work vehicle speed system 108 may be controlled automatically or
semi-automatically by the work vehicle control system 102.
The work vehicle steering system 110 may control the steering of
the work vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, the work vehicle
steering system 110 includes a wheel angle control system 144, a
differential braking system 146, and a torque vectoring system 148.
The wheel angle control system 144 may rotate one or more wheels or
tracks of the work vehicle (e.g., via mechanical or hydraulic
actuators) to steer the work vehicle along a path. By way of
example, the wheel angle control system 144 may rotate front
wheels/tracks, rear wheels/tracks, and/or intermediate
wheels/tracks of the work vehicle, either individually or in
groups. In some embodiments, steering may be accomplished by
varying the speed of wheels or tracks on either side of the work
vehicle. In some embodiments, the wheel angle control system 144
may be hydraulically actuated rather than, or in addition to,
mechanically actuated (e.g., via gears). A hydraulically actuated
steering system 110 may enable the work vehicle to turn without
corresponding movement of a steering wheel (or other steering input
device) inside the cab during an automatic or semi-automatic drive
mode. The differential braking system 146 may independently vary
the braking force on each side of the work vehicle to direct the
work vehicle along the path. Similarly, the torque vectoring system
148 may differentially apply torque from the engine to wheels
and/or tracks on each side of the work vehicle, thereby directing
the work vehicle along the path. While the illustrated work vehicle
steering system 110 includes the wheel angle control system 144,
the differential braking system 146, and the torque vectoring
system 148, alternative embodiments may include any of these
systems, in any suitable combination. Further embodiments may
include a work vehicle steering system having other and/or
additional systems to facilitate directing the work vehicle along
the path (e.g., an articulated steering system, etc.). The work
vehicle steering system 110 may be controlled by the operator in a
manual mode of operation. In an automatic or semi-automatic mode of
operation, the work vehicle steering system 110 may be controlled
automatically by the work vehicle control system 102. For example,
in a semi-automatic mode of operation, the steering system 110 may
be automatically controlled by the work vehicle control system 102,
and the speed system 108 may be controlled by the operator. In a
fully automatic mode of operation, both the speed system 108 and
the steering system 110 may be controlled by the control system
102.
The implement control system 112 may be used to control the
implement. For example, the implement control system 112 may turn
the implement, raise or lower the implement, engage or disengage
the implement, deploy ground-engaging tools of the implement,
control the speed of the implement, etc., or a combination thereof.
In the illustrated embodiment, the implement control system 112
includes an implement steering system 150, an implement engagement
system 152, and an implement height system 154. The implement
steering system may turn the implement (e.g., by actuating one or
more wheels and/or tracks) based on signal(s) received from the
work vehicle control system 102. For example, if the imaging system
104 or the work vehicle control system 102 determine that the row
units of the implement are not aligned with the strips, the control
system 102 may generate a control signal to the implement steering
system 150 to steer the implement to align the row units with the
strips. In some embodiments, steering may be accomplished by
varying the speed of wheels or tracks on either side of the work
vehicle. In some embodiments, the implement steering system 150 may
be hydraulically actuated rather than, or in addition to,
mechanically actuated (e.g., via gears). The implement engagement
system 152 controls whether the implement is engaged and its
position relative to the ground. In some embodiments, for example,
the implement may be disengaged and/or retracted such that the work
vehicle can traverse a soft boundary (e.g., tall grass) or a
portion of the field that is not being tilled and/or cultivated.
The implement height system 154 may be used to control the height
of the engaged implement relative to the ground. While the
illustrated implement control system 112 includes the implement
steering system 150, the implement engagement system 152, and the
implement height system 154, alternative embodiments may include
any of these systems, in any suitable combination. Further
embodiments may include a implement control system 112 having other
and/or additional systems to facilitate directing the work vehicle
along the path (e.g., an articulated steering system, etc.). The
implement control system 112 may be controlled by the operator in a
manual mode of operation. In an automatic or semi-automatic mode of
operation, the implement control system 112 may be controlled
automatically by the work vehicle control system 102.
The operator interface 114 may be disposed inside the cab of the
work vehicle and be configured to display information for, and
receive inputs from, the operator. In the illustrated embodiment,
the operator interface 114 includes a processor 156, a memory
component 158, communication circuitry 160, a display 162, and
operator inputs 164. The processor 156 may include one or more
general-purpose processors, one or more application specific
integrated circuits, one or more field programmable gate arrays, or
the like. The memory 158 may be any tangible, non-transitory,
computer readable medium that is capable of storing instructions
executable by the processor 156 and/or data that may be processed
by the processor 156. The memory 158 may include volatile memory,
such as random access memory, or non-volatile memory, such as hard
disk drives, read-only memory, optical disks, flash memory, and the
like. The communication circuitry 160 may be configured to
communicate with the work vehicle control system 102 (e.g., via the
communication circuitry 120 of the work vehicle control system
102). In some embodiments, the communication circuitry 120, 160 may
communicate with various components in the system wirelessly. In
some embodiments, the operator interface 114 and the work vehicle
control system 102 may be disposed within the same housing, may
share processors 116, 156, memory components 118, 158, and/or
communication circuitry 120, 160. In further embodiments, the work
vehicle control system 102 and the operator interface 114 may be
the same component. The operator interface 114 includes the display
162 configured to display information related to the agricultural
system 10 to the operator. The display 162 may be a screen, an
array of LEDs, a series of gauges, a combination thereof, or some
other arrangement. The operator interface 114 also includes the
operator inputs 164 that enables a user to input information. The
operator inputs 164 may be a keyboard, a series of buttons, a
joystick, a mouse, a track pad, etc. In some embodiments, the
display 162 and the operator input 164 may be a single component
(e.g., a touchscreen).
As the work vehicle tows the implement through the field, the
imaging system captures images via the imaging device(s), which may
be mounted on the work vehicle or on the implement, and may face
forward or rearward relative to the direction of travel of the
agricultural system. Images may be taken periodically, at set
intervals, at triggering events (e.g., user depresses a button), or
substantially continuously. The imaging system 104 may process and
analyze the data to identify the locations of the strips in the
images. The strip locations from the images may be compared to a
map of the field and/or the locations of the row units of the
implement. In some embodiments, the control system 102 may
automatically take corrective action, steering the work vehicle 12
and/or the implement 14 to align the row units with the strips. In
other embodiments, a notification may be displayed on the display
162 of the operator interface 114 indicating to a user that the row
units are not aligned with the strips. In response, the user may
instruct the control system 102 to take a corrective action
suggested by the control system 102, or the user may manually
control the work vehicle steering system 110 and/or the implement
control system 112 to align the row units with the strips. In such
an embodiment, the control system 102 may be disposed on the work
vehicle, on the implement, or both.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the agricultural system 10 of FIG.
1. As shown, the agricultural system 10 includes the work vehicle
12, which tows the implement 14 across the field 22. In the instant
embodiment, the field 22 is configured for strip tilling, in which
strips 26 of the field 22 are tilled. The strips 26 are separated
by untilled rows 28. Each strip 26 includes the tilling tracking
line 36 and the planting tracking line 38 extending along the strip
26. In the instant embodiment, both the tilling tracking line 36
and the planting tracking line 38 extend through the center line 30
of each strip 26, but in some embodiments, the tilling tracking
line 36 and/or the planting tracking line 38 may be offset from the
center line 30 of each strip 26. As previously discussed, the
implement 14 may be a planter, a tillage tool, or some other
implement. The implement includes row units 32, each separated by a
distance 202, which may or may not be the same as the distance 200
between center lines 30.
As previously described, the one or more imaging devices 34 may
capture images of the field 22 as the agricultural system 10
traverses the field 22. In the instant embodiment, the imaging
device 34 is rearward facing (e.g., away from the work vehicle,
opposite the direction of travel, etc.), but in some embodiments
the imaging device may be forward facing (e.g., toward the work
vehicle, in the direction of travel, etc.). The images captured by
the imaging device(s) may include a portion of the implement (e.g.,
one or more of the row units 32, or one or more other reference
points), and/or the imaging system may store the location of the
row units 32 relative to the one or more imaging devices 34. The
processor of the imaging system and/or the processor of the control
system analyzes one or more images captured by the imaging
device(s) 34 to determine whether the row units 32 are aligned with
the strips (e.g., for planting) or the center lines of each strip
26 (e.g., for tilling). As is described below, the determination of
alignment of the row units 32 of the implement 14 and the strips 26
of the field 22 may be made based on a single strip 26 and single
row unit 32 and extrapolated to the rest of the implement 14, or
determined based on a plurality of row units 32 and corresponding
strips 26.
FIG. 4 is an embodiment of an image captured by one of the imaging
devices. In the illustrated embodiment, the image does not include
a part of the implement, but the position of the row units relative
to the imaging device are stored by the control system. In the
illustrated embodiment, one of the row units is centered beneath
the imaging device. As shown, the tilling line 36 and the planting
line 38 extend along center line 30 of each strip 26, separated
from one another by a distance 200. Implement lines 250 represent
the location of the row units 32 as the agricultural system
traverses the field 22. In some embodiments, the location of the
tilling line 36 and/or the planting line 38 may be determined based
on the captured images, while the location of the implement lines
250 may be stored within the control system. In other embodiments,
the location of the implement lines 250 may be determined based on
the captured images, while the location of the tilling line 36
and/or the planting line 38 may be determined based on a map. In
the instant embodiment, the implement lines 250 and the tilling
line 36 and/or the planting line 38 are offset by 2 inches,
indicating that the implement is not properly aligned with the
strips 26 of the field 22. The implement line 250 and the tilling
line 36 and/or the planting line 38 may be determined to be aligned
if an angle of incidence between the implement line 250 and the
tilling tracking line 36 and/or the planting line 38 and/or an
offset distance between the implement line 250 and the tilling
tracking line 36 and/or the planting line 38 is below a threshold
value. In response, the work vehicle control system may take
corrective action by steering the work vehicle or the implement in
order to align the implement 250 with the tilling tracking lines 36
and/or the planting tracking lines 38.
FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a processed image generated by the
imaging system. As part of the image processing, the imaging system
may apply one or more pre-processing filters to the captured data
(see, e.g., FIG. 4), transformation functions (e.g., to correct for
perspective, distortion, etc.), and/or convert the image to an
alternative color map (e.g. NVDI, HSV, or gray-scale) if
applicable. From there, the imaging system may identify strips 26
and untilled rows 28. The imaging system may then determine the
center of each strip 26 and/or the center of the un-tilled region
between two adjacent strips 28 (e.g., the midpoint across the width
of the strip 26) at one or more locations along the length of the
strip 26. The imaging system may then fit a line through the
centers at the various locations to determine a center line 30 of
the strip. The imaging system then uses stored or selected
parameters for the configuration of the imaging system (e.g. field
of view, angle of view, mounting location, etc.) to determine the
location of the implement line and the desired tracking line for
the current operations (e.g., tillage tracking line 36, planting
tracking line 38, etc.). If the implement line is offset from the
desired tracking line, then the system may take corrective action
to minimize the tracking error. Processing of the imaging data may
utilize feature detection, edge detection, textural analysis,
frequency analysis (e.g., wavelet transform), disparity maps (e.g.,
using infrared or stereo imagery), etc.
As described above with regard to FIG. 4, in the instant
embodiment, the implement lines 250 and the tilling line 36 and/or
the planting line 38 are offset by 2 inches, indicating that the
implement is not properly aligned with the strips 26 of the field
22. In response, the work vehicle control system may take
corrective action by steering the work vehicle or the implement in
order to align the implement lines 250 and the tilling tracking
line 36 and/or the planting tracking line 38. In other embodiments,
an indication may be displayed to the user, prompting the user to
take corrective action (e.g., steering the work vehicle or the
implement).
FIG. 6 is an embodiment of an image captured by one of the imaging
devices of an agricultural operation utilizing strip tilling and
offset planting. As with previous embodiments described above,
strips 26 are separated from rows of untilled land 28. However,
rather than the planting lines 38 (e.g., the line along which seeds
are planted) extending along the center line 30 of respective
strips 26, each planting line 38 is off-set from each center line
30 of each strip 26 by a distance 302. In such an embodiment, the
tilling tracking line 36 may be aligned with the center line 30,
and the planting line 38 may be offset from the center line 30 by a
distance 302. Similarly, in other embodiments the tilling tracking
line 36 may be offset from the center line 30 while the planting
line 38 may or may not be offset from the center line 30.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a process 400 for
aligning the implement with strips of the field. In block 402, the
agricultural system (e.g., the work vehicle and the implement) is
directed across the field. As previously discussed, the field
includes strips separated by rows of untilled land. As the
agricultural system traverses the field, images are captured (block
404) of the one or more strips of the field. The images may be
captured by one or more imaging devices, which may be disposed on
the work vehicle and/or the implement, and may be forward facing or
rearward facing. The images may include portions of the implement
(e.g., row units or reference points), or the position and
orientation of the imaging device relative to the row units may be
stored within the control system. In block 406, the images are
processed to determine locations of the center line of each strip,
the implement line, the tracking line of each strip. As discussed
above, this may be performed by a process of determining the center
of the one or more strips at multiple locations along the length of
the strip and then fitting a straight line through the determined
centers or averaging the determined centers along the length of the
strip.
In decision 408, a determination is made as to whether the
implement is aligned with the strips. Specifically, a determination
is made as to whether the implement line is aligned with the
tracking line. If the implement is aligned with the strips, the
process 400 returns to block 404 and additional images are
captured. If the implement is not aligned with the strips, the
control system steers the work vehicle and/or the implement to
correct the alignment (block 410) between the implement line and
the tracking line. In other embodiments, an indication may be
displayed to the user, prompting the user to take corrective
action.
For agricultural applications utilizing strip tilling, being able
to repeatedly and consistently align one or more implements with
the strips of a field may increase the efficiency of the
agricultural application and reduce operator fatigue. The disclosed
techniques include one or more imaging devices coupled to the work
vehicle or the implement and configured to capture images of the
field as the implement traverses the field. The images may be
processed to determine the locations of one or more tracking lines
of one or more strips relative to the position of one or more row
units of the implement. If the implement is not aligned with the
strips of the field, the control system may steer the work vehicle
and/or the implement into alignment with the strips, or an
indication may be displayed to the user, prompting the user to take
corrective action.
While only certain features of the disclosed subject matter have
been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and
changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore,
to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all
such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of
the disclosure.
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